Tiny Houses could be a ‘game changer’ for Detroit, first ones in open in Cass Community

After less than a year of planning the first Cass tiny home was recently completed on Elmhurst Street on Detroit’s west side.

Tiny homes for everyone! Ok, that might be an exaggeration, and Oprah wasn’t in town. But in all seriousness, the plan is to have 25 tiny homes for people who qualify for the program.

Reverend Faith Fowler came up with the idea to build tiny homes in the area by the Cass Community campus near Elmhurst and the Lodge freeway to give people the opportunity to rent a home and after seven years they could own it outright.

The project is estimated to cost $1.5 million to complete the 25 tiny homes. They have raised roughly $700,000 to date. This includes $400,000 from the Ford Fund.

“This project is really a game changer, not only for people who are living in these homes. Most of whom I’m willing to bet have never been able to say ‘I live in my own home.’ That sounds pretty simple to say, because most of us probably live in our own homes,” says Jim Vella, Ford Fund president.

The homes will range from 250 square feet up to 400 square feet. The home we toured was 300 square feet. Each home will be completely unique from each other. Being unique was something that Rev. Fowler felt was extremely important.

“I believe that by having a different house, a unique house, a distinctive house that you will have pride in it. In a way you won’t if everyone lives in the same rectangle and you can tell where everyone’s sofa is and bathroom is. We really wanted it to be unique. And it will be the only place in the United States where 25 different houses will be on two blocks.” says Fowler.